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Gonna build a Jeep

06-12-2007, 08:04 PM

Well after rolling my first one 25+ years ago i swore i would never have another one. But the bug bit and i found a '96 CJ7 in a barn that hasn't driven in 9 years for 300 bucks. The hardtop is nice but the body isn't at least the rear half. So rather than buy the glass body i had planned i will order two sheets of 1/8" alum and form my own. I worked in a shop that made 11 Scramblers from stainless so i know how and have the equipment. The orig 6 cyl is froze up and i have a nice 302 Ford in my basement that i will put in. Now to find some time...Bob
TYPO IT IS AN 1986 Thanks M1 for pointing it out

If I may make a suggestion, start oiling everything now, every couple of days put another coat on, when you do get to it, things will be much easier to work with. this is not a perfect solution, but it does help.

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I bought some Kroil oil and dumped the whole can down the spark plug holes a week ago. That oil is great for freeing up stuff. Then i drug it down the road with a big truck and a chain and tried popping the clutch. I got posi drag marks all over the place but she's still froze. Tomorrow i will put another can in it and try rocking the motor back in forth from underneath somewhere. http://4wd.com is right up the road so i can get parts...Bob

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Im guessing the '96 is a typo. If it is an '86 CJ-7, the last year they made them, then you should have the more desireable Dana 44 rear axle instead of the AMC 20. Good find for $300. Lets see some pictures.

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sounds like a cool project. i got a 51/53 GMC 3/4ton truck i been planing to give new life to. used it for work for over 10 years and now its time to pay it back. but like ya said gotta find the time.9oh and the $$
i started getting the quads ready for the summer and found out i have to rebuild a starter and a pull spring system in the yamaha and need all new fule lines for the kids eton, it just never ends.
be shore to post up some pic's of the process.

thanks for the help
......or..........
hope i helped
sigpic feel free to shoot me an e-mail direct i have time to chat.james@newyorkmetalart.comsummer is here, plant a tree. if you don't have space or time to plant one sponsor some one else to plant one for you. a tree is an investment in our planet, help it out.
JAMES

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You may want to put some ATF or other like oil down the carb, this will help free up the valves. Did this on an older S 10 when it had sat for 4 years and didn't want to even turn over with a new battery.

Jerry

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Bob,
Great find......I'll second the atf as it has cleaning agents....plus it's a lot cheaper than kroil.......I'v used a mixture of atf and diesel to thin it out some so it will get down the cylinder walls........as well as removing all the plugs when trying to turn it over by hand....well more like rocking it as you don't want a ring to break or scrape a large amount of rust at one time as it can damage the cylinder walls.
Mike

George W. Bush was saving your butt whether you liked it or not!
Fear is temporary, regret is forever
HH210 with SG

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Hey guys, I think you over looked one minor detail in giving advice on freeing up the motor, that being WHY???
If aametalmaster has got a 302 ready and willing, that ole 6 banger is nothing more than a boat anchor to me. Forget about wasting the time on a tired old beat down motor when you got the fun and challenge of fitting the Jeep with the 302. Besides you don't need a welder to rebuild a motor, but you do need one to fab up the new mounts and towers. Get to cutting and welding and forget about these other suggestions, go wild and create a monster while you're at it. Dave

If necessity is the Mother of Invention, I must be the Father of Desperation!

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dabar39
i was thinking along the same lines as you . he said he tryed it out and its toast, he has a ready to go one in the basement. why waist the time on the dead dog. its not a clasic resoration project where it needs to stay origenal. its going to be a play toy, so why not make it a better toy wile you are at it.
not a big fan of the ford's but the 302 is an exelent motor as i understand it so go for it. start fabing up some parts and get at it. take the dead one to a scrap yard for scrap steel and use the $$ to buy some beer for the project.

thanks for the help
......or..........
hope i helped
sigpic feel free to shoot me an e-mail direct i have time to chat.james@newyorkmetalart.comsummer is here, plant a tree. if you don't have space or time to plant one sponsor some one else to plant one for you. a tree is an investment in our planet, help it out.
JAMES

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Im guessing the '96 is a typo. If it is an '86 CJ-7, the last year they made them, then you should have the more desireable Dana 44 rear axle instead of the AMC 20. Good find for $300. Lets see some pictures.

1976 was the first year that AMC went with the 20 rearend. They had a lot of problems with the two piece axle-it always wanted to revert back to two pieces in high torque situations. A few companies made a lot of money supplying aftermarket axles that work on the 20. what year did they go back to the 44?

the straight 6cyl is good for general off-roading. A v-8 in a cj is good for burning rubber, trashing transmissions, stripping those amc 20 axles, and creating controllabilty issues because of way too much hp in such a light duty, short wheel-base, high cg vehicle. Gave Ralph Nadar a lot of ammo.

if i ever decide to play around with an engine swap i figure i will use a gm 4.3 v6, same bore/stroke as the 258 but in a v package.